The sun had barely risen the next day.
At Mount Paozu, the air was still. Akiko hugged Goku tightly, tears glistening in her eyes but refusing to fall. She knew this was necessary. Gohan clutched Goku's pants, sniffling.
"You'll come back, right, Dad?" Gohan asked, voice trembling.
Goku smiled warmly, ruffling his son's hair. "Of course! I'm gonna get super strong and come right back to you, buddy."
Rayuga stood nearby, arms crossed, his white hair glimmering softly under the morning sun. His blue eyes were serious but calm.
"Ready?" Rayuga asked.
Goku nodded firmly. "Yeah. Let's do this."
Piccolo and the others had already left to start their brutal training across the Earth. Bulma, Chichi, Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, and even Master Roshi had watched Goku's farewell with mixed emotions before heading off.
Rayuga, standing before Goku, placed two fingers lightly against Goku's forehead. In a flash of movement faster than anyone else could register—
THWIP!
Goku's heart stopped.
He collapsed instantly, a peaceful look on his face.
Akiko gasped quietly but trusted Rayuga's words.
From the sky above, a bright light descended—the messenger of the afterlife, Kami-sama, accompanied by the spirits of King Yemma's helpers.
"Well done, Rayuga," Kami said gravely. "I'll ensure his soul reaches King Yemma safely."
Rayuga simply nodded. "Take care of him. He's got a lot of work to do."
---
[In the Afterlife]
Goku's spirit floated, dazed, until he found himself standing before the massive gates of King Yemma's Palace.
King Yemma, the enormous red-skinned judge of the dead, looked down from his giant desk.
"So you're Son Goku, huh?" Yemma rumbled, flipping through a massive book. "Says here you're allowed special access to King Kai's planet for training."
Goku grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Yup! Rayuga said it's the best place to get strong!"
Yemma chuckled. "You're lucky you've got a friend like that."
He pointed to a long, glowing serpentine path that stretched into the horizon.
"That's Snake Way. Follow it all the way to the end. That's where King Kai's planet is."
Goku's jaw dropped. "Whoa, that's long…"
"Good luck!" Yemma barked, stamping Goku's paper.
Without hesitation, Goku dashed forward.
---
[Snake Way Journey]
The journey on Snake Way was grueling.
Goku sprinted for days, facing exhaustion, battling strange creatures like the ogres who tried to trick him into falling into Hell, but thanks to his Saiyan stamina—and a boost of motivation thinking of Akiko and Gohan—he pressed onward.
Sometimes he rested just for an hour, sometimes not at all.
His hunger and thirst gnawed at him, but his spirit stayed strong.
"Gotta reach King Kai… gotta save everyone…" he thought, teeth gritted.
---
[Arrival at King Kai's Planet]
Finally, after what felt like forever, Goku spotted a tiny, grassy, round planet floating at the end of Snake Way.
"THAT'S IT!!" he shouted, springing toward it with renewed strength.
The gravity hit him instantly.
WHAM!
He slammed into the ground face-first.
"Ughh! Why's it so heavy?!" Goku cried, struggling to lift himself up.
A soft, goofy laugh echoed across the small planet.
Turning his head, Goku saw a small, round man wearing sunglasses and a staff with a cricket perched on his shoulder.
King Kai.
"You must be Son Goku!" King Kai laughed. "You're pretty tough to have made it all the way here!"
Goku grinned, struggling to his feet. "Thanks! Rayuga said you're the best trainer around!"
King Kai's mustache twitched in amusement. "Rayuga, huh? Hoo boy… if he recommended me, you must be special."
After a few jokes (which Goku failed miserably to understand), King Kai finally agreed to train him.
---
[Goku's Training on King Kai's Planet]
Training began immediately.
First Challenge: Enduring Gravity.
King Kai's planet had 10 times Earth's gravity, and even though Goku was strong, it took several days before he could move properly without collapsing. His muscles tore and rebuilt themselves stronger each time.
Second Challenge: Speed and Reflexes.
King Kai had Goku chase Bubbles, the monkey who moved absurdly fast under the heavy gravity. Every day, Goku sprinted, leaped, rolled, fell, and crawled after Bubbles, slowly getting quicker.
Third Challenge: Strength Training.
Carrying absurd weights, punching and kicking until the air itself trembled, Goku's strength grew in ways he never imagined.
Final Challenge: Learning Techniques.
King Kai then taught Goku two sacred techniques:
Kaioken — Goku was amazed at the ability to multiply his strength at will, though Rayuga had already mastered it perfectly.
Spirit Bomb — A powerful energy sphere made by gathering energy from all living things.
Goku struggled with both at first, but slowly he adapted, mastering Kaioken at low multipliers and beginning to form the first small Spirit Bombs.
King Kai watched his growth, amazed.
"This kid…" King Kai murmured, "he might really stand a chance…"
Every time Goku faltered, he thought of Akiko's smiling face… Gohan's tiny hands pulling at his pants… and Rayuga's confident smirk.
"I gotta be strong. For them!"
---
As the days and months passed in the afterlife, on Earth, Rayuga watched over the Z-Fighters, training them brutally.
The year deadline was approaching.
And with it—the Saiyan invasion.
---
To Be Continued...
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